Birth of the Demonic Sword

Daniel described the whole story of the black landmass in great detail. The world was mostly empty when Noah had left, but major events had followed his departure.

Daniel and the others had to face many migrating groups of magical beasts that escaped the storms due to their dangerousness. Most of them had been easy to fend off due to the number of assets on the landmass, but others had required proper wars.

The lack of energy inside the world had eventually started to affect the state of the landmass. The constant Tribulation had helped for a while, but Heaven and Earth had stopped sending lightning bolts at some point, forcing Daniel and the others to come up with different solutions.

The storms were the only environment with energy, so the landmass had to approach those areas to seize fuel and other resources. That decision had brought another series of wars, but Daniel and the others had survived them.

The apocalyptic event had forced Daniel to move the landmass inside deep areas of the storms to hide. Luckily for him, Second Prince and the other experts had grown used to the dangerousness of their situation and had developed many useful techniques that helped in their survival.

The life inside the storms had been relatively peaceful. The landmass had remained hidden in an environment full of energy. Hunts still happened from time to time, but most experts preferred to stay in their safe regions to prepare for their next move.

The expansion of the sky had taken the whole landmass by surprise. The defenses couldn't work against that new threat, so the experts had to fend off the sky with their own power while Second Prince invented something new.

In the end, the landmass had developed new formations and techniques that could dig through the sky while seizing its energy. Daniel and the others could live in peace for many years, but Heaven and Earth had eventually launched new Tribulations.

June's story arrived at that point. Daniel described how they had to face an unusually strong Tribulation once, something powerful enough to threaten the stability of their defenses. June drove it away, but no one could find traces of her presence after everything ended.

"We tried to look for her, but the sky made everything too hard," Daniel concluded. "Besides, new Tribulations followed, so we never managed to focus on her for too long."

"You had the landmass to protect," Noah reassured.

"June was stronger than me when she disappeared," Daniel revealed. "I wouldn't be surprised if she used the Tribulation to get near the ninth rank."

That revelation didn't reassure Noah, and Daniel vaguely guessed the reason behind that. Noah had searched for the black landmass, meaning that he had discovered something about June.

"What do you know?" Daniel asked.

"Someone told me that she died," Noah explained.

"Is the source trustworthy?" Daniel questioned.

"Probably," Noah sighed. "Still, there are many versions of death when Heaven and Earth are involved, especially if she hit the ninth rank before dying."

"That's great, right?" Daniel exclaimed.

"Worlds aren't easy to rebuild," Noah explained, "And I would still lose her in the end, at least in most cases."

"Faith told me that you were ready for that since you started going out," Daniel stated.

"Of course," Noah announced. "It's not that. I don't know how to react while everything remains unclear."

"Are we about to face another apocalyptic event?" Daniel joked.

"I will definitely cause a mess if they really killed her," Noah promised while glancing at the ceiling to sense the sky past that. "How could I not?"

The room began to tremble, but Noah promptly suppressed his world. He didn't want to damage anything on the landmass, but his desire to make Heaven and Earth pay naturally triggered his violent thoughts.

"We have survived many Tribulations," Daniel mocked. "I don't want to see the landmass destroyed because of you."

"I will make some improvements before leaving again," Noah chuckled. "I also have to explain more about the ninth rank. You all have fought a lot, but I've seen things that might help. Who knows, you might be able to help in the final battle."

"Focus on yourself," Daniel laughed. "Improve the landmass, make your lessons, and go on your way. Honestly, you are too dangerous for this environment at your level."

"It seems that my old home can't contain me anymore," Noah shook his head.

"It never could," Daniel sighed. "Maybe that's the whole point behind your talent."

"We only have different paths," Noah explained. "I can see it clearly now. Hurrying to reach this level is pointless. Completeness is everything."

"That's easy to say for you," Daniel complained.

"I always felt compelled to reach the higher ranks quickly because of the nature of my existence," Noah explained. "Many experts are like me, and the threat of the final battle doesn't help. However, other paths might simply require more time. Pursue yourself, and a world will eventually form."

Daniel and Noah fell silent for a while only to resume talking about random topics. The two even left the training area to join other old friends and start official celebrations.

A general summoning happened. Cultivators, hybrids, and magical beasts left their regions to gather around the central structure where Daniel lived. Teleports started to shine everywhere, and a crowd quickly formed.

Noah had almost forgotten that he could smile for so long. Only battles and struggles waited for him inside the sky, but the landmass brought something that he didn't feel for a long time.

It was easy to ignore the value of relationships that had lasted for entire millennia. Still, the celebrations made Noah aware of what he had chosen to sacrifice to pursue power. He had lifelong friends that had fought countless battles by his side. Even some of the magical beasts on the scene knew him deeply. He had built many profound connections, but his eyes continued to fall on the sky whenever his mind wandered.

Lying to his nature was impossible, especially in the ninth rank. Noah could enjoy that reunion and even decide to prolong his stay, but his desires remained firm. He was one of the few existences in the entirety of the higher plane to have so many friends. Yet, he remained willing to leave them behind.

Stories, laughs, and even solemn toasts happened during the celebrations. A few fights happened. The rats and the Foolery performed an odd race that entertained the crowd. Everything was perfect, but whiteness continued to shine on the black landmass, and Noah couldn't stand it. During his quieter moments, he desired to dive back into the endless pursuit of power.

The celebrations lasted for entire months. Noah and Maribel's presence on the landmass made Heaven and Earth unwilling to send Tribulations. Daniel and the others experienced a type of peace that the rulers had forced them to forget.

Only a few things managed to sadden Noah during the event. June's absence was something that he couldn't ignore, but other details inevitably appeared in his vision and forced him to acknowledge how long he had spent away.

A wrinkle, a strand of white hair, a mature answer, and other features that differed from Noah's memories told him that some of his friends were slowly growing old. Even those who had reached the peak of the eighth rank showed slight differences from what he recalled.

It could take eras to kill gods of old age, but Noah still noticed those details. A realization inevitably appeared in his mind. He knew that most of his friends wouldn't die of old age, but those details gave him an idea of what it could be to live without them. His next departure would probably be his last, so he did his best to enjoy those happy moments.